Refusal of blood transfusion by Jehovah’s Witness women: a survey of current management in obstetric and gynaecological practice in the UK

摘要

BackgroundRefusal of blood transfusion by Jehovah’s Witness (JW) women poses potential problems for obstetrics worldwide as haemorrhage remains a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. There is a general consensus that morbidity and mortality rates in association with childbirth and gynaecological interventions are higher in these women than in the general population. We conducted a postal questionnaire survey of current practice among UK consultant obstetricians and gynaecologists to establish the practices that could contribute to poor outcomes in these women.